Black Friday - Animated Episode 26

The main plot for this episode is given away from the description provided by Cartoon Network late last year. However, that doesn't do it justice, as this light-hearted episode is also filled with a heap of treachery.

Let's start with the recap.

Melt Away

Bumblebee and Sari go to visit Prometheus Black, a.k.a. Meltdown, about how to stop Porter C. Powell from taking over Sumdac Industries.

Black says that they will most likely be able to find any dirt on Powell due to his smart business sense, but he can “melt him away” if they let him out. Disgusted, Sari tells Bumblebee that they should leave.

Through a security camera, Powell sees the duo walking away from Black and says that he needs to keep a close eye on them.

That night, the Dinobots break through the wall to kidnap Prometheus Black and take the entire box away from the prison and take him back to Dinobot Island.

Blackarachnia steps from the shadows It is revealed that the Dinobots are all attracted to her and with that, she has learned how to control them with that affection.

Organic Contamination

Prometheus asks her what he’s doing on the island. Blackarachnia tells him that after the big battle between the Decepticons and the Autobots, she washed ashore Dinobot Island, Black’s stomping grounds before he went all melty.

She tells him the Dinobots found her and gave her a home, and during her time on the island, she discovered his work on genetic modification. Now, she tells Black that she brought him here for his help to purge herself of the organic part of herself.

Meanwhile, back at the prison, Powell tells Captain Fanzone he knows who is responsible for Meltdown’s breakout, and shows him the recording Black telling Sari and Bumblebee to help him out of the prison to take care of Powell as proof.
br />
Fanzone questions Powell on how he obtained the recording, but Powell brushes that aside and asks for protection. However, Fanzone is disgusted by the request and tells Powell to get a Schnauzer instead.

Motives

The Autobots find out that Black has escaped. Sari is shocked and wonders why he would escape now. Bumblebee attempts to find a rationale for his escape, and continues to dig a hole and worrying Sari that Black is coming for her.

To get him to quiet down, Prowl makes a bet with for a can of axle grease that Bumblebee cannot keep quiet for ten cycles. Bumblebee accepts.

After Bumblebee has shut up, Prowl finds that by increasing the resolution of the shadow in the video on the news, they can see that the Dinobots are behind the capture of Meltdown. Optimus Prime wonders what motivates the Dinobots to spring him out, even though the despise him. He calls on Prowl and Bumblebee to come with him to Dinobot Island and get to the bottom of this.

Ambush On Dinobot Island

Once on the island, the Autobots spread out to find them. Prowl finds a trail for Meltdown, but hears Bumblebee scream for him. He heads to Bumblebee, annoyed by his constant talking. When he reaches Bumbebee’s location, he is surprised to see that Bumblebee has found himself in one of Blackarachnia’s spider webs. Blackarachnia ambushes him from behind and immobilizes him.

On another part of the island, Prime encounters the Dinobots and calls for backup. He instead finds Blackarachnia telling him that they can’t help him.

She reveals that she gave them an extra dose of venom and if she wants him to live, she’ll need to provide the antidote within two megacycles or they’ll go offline permanently.

Prime demands her to give them the antidote, but she says that in order for her to do so, he and Grimlock will have to go on a mission to obtain a Genetic Modifier for Black to complete her conversion to become pure technological.

The Expedition

Back in the city, Grimlock terrorizes the humans, but Prime is able to calm him down and that he may be a bit more conspicuous in robot mode. Grimlock agrees but says that he’s still taller than Prime and that’s why Blackarachnia likes him the best.

Prime tries to tell him that she is just trying to use them and that when she gets what they want, she will drop them. Grimlock says he’s bad and walks away, saying that he will “go alone.” He returns a second later asking Prime where to obtain the part Black needs. Optimus says he knows where he can find one and Grimlock says he will follow him, but will go with him alone.

At Sumdac, ahem, Powell Towers, Porter is just getting off of work and is confronted by Grimlock asking him for the thingy. At first, when Grimlock sees that he’s scaring Powell, he is hesitant to continue. However, Prime says that this is one human he can scare all he wants.

Relieved, Grimlock transforms into his beast mode and chomps at Powell’s pant leg and turns him upside down. Prime asks him for the Genetic Modifier, but Powell refuses to give it up until Grimlock pretends to eat him.

Powell takes the robots to Black’s old lab and gives them the Modifier. Right when the duo leaves though, he calls Fanzone and reports that he’s just been robbed.

Ulterior Motives

Back on Dinobot Island, Meltdown is preparing for Blackarachnia’s transformation and Grimlock busts through the wall with Prime at his holding the Modifier. Black asks for the thingy, but Prime says he will not hand it over until Prowl and Bumblebee are set free.

Black activates his contingency plan by attacking the duo with modified freaks, resulting in the Modifier being left behind while they battle. Black plugs in the Modifier and reveals to Blackarachnia what she doesn’t know: he despises machines.

He reveals his plans to purge her of the technological side and leaving only the organic side remaining. With that, he can conduct genetic experiments and foresees his dream of the first transforming organic.

Powerless to stop him,

Meanwhile, Prime and Grimlock are fighting the robots with the other Dinobots coming to aide them. After a struggle, the mutants are left running away with Blackarachnia’s screaming echoing throughout the forest.

The Final Showdown

Prime and Grimlock head back to the lab to stop Black’s plan. Prime removes the modifier and struggles with Black. Without thinking, Meltdown touches the Modifier, which breaks down him down into a gob of goo.

Prime runs back over to Blackarachnia and sets her free. However, as a thank you gift, she uses Grimlock’s jealousy to attack Prime so she can escape. The Dinobots run after Blackarachnia.

Back at the other Autobots, Prime is about to apologize to them for failing him. However, he finds that Blackarachnia has kept true to her word and left the antidote right by their side.

Bumblebee asks how long they’ve been out, and when Prime tells him, he demands Prowl pay him the axle grease.

Hope Remains

The Autobots tell Fanzone what happened and Prime returns the Modifier to Powell. He is outraged that the component has now been ruined and asks Fanzone what he is prepared to do about it.

Fanzone shrugs it off, saying he is going to go home to get some sleep and suggests Powell do the same before he arrests him. Powell, who is defeated, stomps away.

Sari says he almost feels sorry for him, but notices that Prime is distracted. She asks him what’s wrong, and Prime says that because of Blackarachnia’s decision to leave the antidote, there may be hope for her to become an Autobot again after all.

Back on the island, what is left of Meltdown begins to move and form back together, with his eyes glowing away being the last thing we see.

Thoughts

This was a very enjoyable episode. During the hunt for the Modifier, David Kaye, the voice of both Prime and Grimlock, is able to give us an enjoyable episode during the third of the episode that their expedition occurs.

You also see more of Blackarachnia’s ability to be tricky and treacherous, yet an Autobot side still within her from her previous life as Elita-1. I’m interested to see how her story goes, as it really could go either way. I don’t have a stake in which way she goes, just as long as it’s done nicely, and they haven’t done any bad on her character yet.